ISTANBUL - German activist Paula Maier, who came to Turkey in solidarity with Rojava and says she was raped while in detention, said sexual violence is inseparable from political structures, adding: “Repression will not stop international solidarity.” 

 

A group of 16 young internationalists from Germany travelled to Mêrdîn in solidarity with North and East Syria, in opposition to attacks by HTS, DAESH and Turkey-backed paramilitary groups. The group was detained on January 28 and issued deportation orders. They were taken by road from Mêrdîn to Istanbul the following day. After being put on a flight at Istanbul Airport to be deported to Germany, they were forcibly removed from the plane and taken to the airport police station, where they were subjected to prolonged torture. On January 30, they were placed on separate flights to different cities in Germany.

 

Paula Maier, one of the 16 young internationalists, said she was raped while in prison in Istanbul. "During my solitary confinement, I was subjected to sexual violence, including rape,” she said.

 

German activist Paula Maier spoke to Mezopotamya Agency (MA) about her experience during that period.

 

Paula Maier, a German socialist and internationalist and a member of the Federation of Class-Struggle Organizations (Föderation Klassenkämpferischer Organisationen – FKO), said: “I am politically active in solidarity with revolutionary and emancipatory movements, particularly the women’s revolution in Rojava and the Kurdish freedom struggle. For me, internationalism means understanding that the struggle for freedom, workers’ rights and women’s liberation are not confined to national borders. What happens in Kurdistan and Turkey is also connected to political developments in Germany, especially because Germany is deeply involved through arms exports, political agreements and its broader imperialist interests. I see myself as someone who is trying to bring these struggles and the voices of those affected into the public debate in Germany.”

 

‘WE WANTED TO SHED LIGHT ON THE WOMEN’S REVOLUTION IN ROJAVA’

 

Explaining why they came to Turkey, Paula Maier continued: “Our goal was to document the political situation, understand what was happening on the ground and report back to people in Germany. We also wanted to shed light on the developments in Rojava and the perspective of the women's revolution there. The Rojava Revolution, which began in 2012, created a radically different political perspective in a region devastated by war and authoritarianism. The population established structures of self-administration, councils, and women’s organizations and self-defence. This project became a major political inspiration because it demonstrated that another society is possible. At the beginning of 2026, the situation became increasingly dangerous. Forces led by HTS and the Syrian transitional government under al-Shara attacked Kurdish neighborhoods in Aleppo, and the conflict expanded into a broader attack on northern and eastern Syria. With Turkish support, the siege and attacks threatened the achievements of Rojava. It was therefore impossible for me to simply remain in Germany and watch this happen. I felt that I had to do what was within my power: go there, understand the situation, document it and bring the information back to Germany. I wanted to use my voice to support the people fighting for the freedom of Rojava, particularly the women who have built and defended this revolution.”

 

‘I WAS SUBJECTED TO SEXUAL VIOLENCE INCLUDING RAPE’

 

Paula Maier said they took part in protests and press statements after arriving in Turkey. She recounted: “We got to experience first hand the resistance of the Kurdish people. After being arrested and detained by the Turkish police, I experienced severe repression. During my solitary confinement, I was subjected to sexual violence, including rape. The experience had profound consequences for me. I experienced fear, shame, isolation and a sense of powerlessness. But the repression was not something that happened to me as an individual. I understand it in a broader political context. States that want to prevent journalists, activists and internationalists from reporting on their policies have an interest in creating fear. Repression, intimidation and violence are intended not only to punish individuals, but also to discourage others from traveling, reporting and organizing solidarity. That is precisely why I decided not to remain silent. I don't want to tell a heroic story about pure courage. There were moments when I thought the repression might break me. There were moments when I doubted whether I would be able to continue being politically active. What helped me was the solidarity of comrades after my return to Germany. They helped break the isolation and loneliness that repression creates. I have come to understand that I am not what happened to me. I am what I make of it. What happened is part of my history, but I can decide how I continue to write that history.”

 

WOMEN’S SOLIDARITY BREAKS THE SILENCE!

 

Paula Maier stated: “The experience of sexual violence was an extremely difficult one, and deciding how to respond to it was a long process. I do not want to reduce that process to a simple legal question. For months, I struggled with shame, fear and the feeling of isolation. It took time to first trust comrades enough to speak about what had happened and then to decide to make it public. My decision to speak publicly was also influenced by other women who have broken their silence about sexualized violence and torture. Women internationally have repeatedly said that shame must change sides. That became a political message for me as well. Making this experience public is itself a form of resistance.  At the same time, I believe that every survivor has to decide for herself what steps she is able and willing to take. It was important to me that this decision remained mine.”

 

‘MY EXPERIENCE IS NOT AN ISOLATED CASE’

 

Paula Maier stressed that she would continue to speak publicly about what she experienced and the political context in which it took place. She continued: “I want to make repression against activists and internationalists visible and contribute to campaigns against political repression and sexualized torture in detention. But my aim goes beyond my own experience. I want to connect my experience with the experiences of other women and political prisoners. My experience is not an isolated case.Revolutionary women have repeatedly experienced sexualized violence and torture as a means of repression. That does not make my individual experience less important. Quite the opposite: I believe we have to bring both sides together. We have to understand violence against women politically and structurally, while at the same time giving space to the individual experiences, emotions and trauma of those affected.”

 

‘I WILL CONTINUE THE STRUGGLE’

 

Emphasizing that she will continue the struggle, Paul Maier said:  “I also want to continue informing people in Germany about what is happening in Turkey and Kurdistan and about Germany’s own responsibility. Germany is not a neutral observer. German weapons are exported and used in conflicts, and German foreign policy and economic interests are closely connected to the region. Internationalism means that we must oppose this in Germany as well. German workers have more in common with Kurdish and Turkish workers than with politicians such as Merz or Erdoğan who promote the political and economic interests behind wars and agreements. So my response is to continue organizing, informing, building solidarity and fighting against repression,  for the liberation of political prisoners, for the liberation of women and for the freedom of Rojava.”

 

‘REPRESSION WILL NOT STOP INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY’

 

Paula Maier continued: “I want to make clear that this is not only my story. It is the story of many women who have experienced violence and repression because they resisted. I am not an isolated case, and sexualized violence does not exist independently of the political structures around us. It can be used as a weapon to intimidate, humiliate and silence women, particularly women who are politically active and refuse to submit. But I also do not want to be defined by what was done to me. I want to say to other women: you are not alone. You do not have to speak before you are ready and you do not have to tell your story in any particular way. But if and when you decide to speak, there are others who will stand with you. And politically, I want to say very clearly: repression will not stop international solidarity. The fact that activists are threatened, imprisoned or subjected to violence is not a reason to turn away. It is precisely a reason to become organized and determined. The delegation was right. International solidarity is right. And as long as the freedom of Kurdistan and the achievements of Rojava are under attack, I believe that more people should be willing to stand up, report what they see and fight for these struggles around the world.”

 

MA / Ömer İbrahimoğlu - Deniz Karabudak